---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to coverage for hearing aids and related services."
description: "Amend KRS 304.17A-132 to modify the definition of \"hearing aid\"; increase the coverage amount for hearing aids from $1,400 to $2,500; establish network adequacy requirements relating to the provision of hearing aids and related services that are required to be covered; amend KRS 18A.225 to increase the cap on hearing aids and hearing aid-related services under the state employee health plan from $1,400 to $2,500; direct that the Act applies to health benefit plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2027."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2026RS"
identifier: "HB 164"
citation: "Kentucky HB 164 (2026RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Actuarial Analysis", "Children And Minors", "Effective Dates", "Delayed", "Health And Medical Services", "Health Benefit Plan Mandate", "Health Care Professionals", "Insurance", "Health", "Local Mandate", "State Employee Health Plan Mandate", "State Employees"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["D. Grossberg", "DJ Johnson", "G. Brown Jr.", "S. Heavrin"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 19
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2026-04-03T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cbed2661-8189-41ff-bab5-c47bdf217dda"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb164.html"
source_hash: "0c15297661848fbe85292b52640eadc817c40c08230f713f36bfcecf91e2adc7"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky HB 164 (2026RS) — AN ACT relating to coverage for hearing aids and related services.

Amend KRS 304.17A-132 to modify the definition of "hearing aid"; increase the coverage amount for hearing aids from $1,400 to $2,500; establish network adequacy requirements relating to the provision of hearing aids and related services that are required to be covered; amend KRS 18A.225 to increase the cap on hearing aids and hearing aid-related services under the state employee health plan from $1,400 to $2,500; direct that the Act applies to health benefit plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027; EFFECTIVE January 1, 2027.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb164/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 26** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0026.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb164/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- CONSENT PASSAGE OF HB 164 — **38–0** (pass) · lower
- Pass — **93–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- D. Grossberg — primary (person)
- DJ Johnson — primary (person)
- G. Brown Jr. — primary (person)
- S. Heavrin — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-12T05:00:00+00:00** to Banking & Insurance (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-28T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-29T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2026-01-30T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Monday, February 02 2026
- **2026-02-02T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 93-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2026-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-13T04:00:00+00:00** to Banking & Insurance (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-17T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill `reading-2`
- **2026-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Wednesday, March 25 2026
- **2026-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 38-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2026-04-03T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 26) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cbed2661-8189-41ff-bab5-c47bdf217dda`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).